Junior Zach Luke pitched a three-hitter and Barebo made a potential game-saving catch for the final out as the Crusaders captured their first district baseball title with a 2-1 victory at Coca-Cola Park.

Notre Dame (20-4), the Colonial League champion, has already set a school record for wins in a season. The Crusaders advance to the PIAA playoffs which begin on Monday. Official pairings, sites and times haven't been announced.

"As a former player (at Notre Dame) and a coach, I try to instill in the kids the history of Notre Dame baseball," coach Mike Bedics said. "Fortunately for them they got to leave their mark today."

"This is just awesome," said Luke, who defeated Pen Argyl for the second time this season. "It's an awesome thing to say (we're district champs), especially to win the Colonial League, too."

Catcher Jerry Pascucci drove in both Notre Dame runs on a second-inning groundout and a tie-breaking double in the fourth inning off Devon LaBarre, who also pitched exceptionally well.

"It (RBIs) is pretty cool, but I don't really care about personal stats," Pascucci said. "To say we achieved this goal as a team is a pretty cool feeling."

"That's the way these kids have been since we started in the fall," Bedics said. "Team goals are more important to them than personal awards."

Pen Argyl, which finished 16-8, threatened in the seventh inning when Nick Oyer singled with one out and stole second as Travis Slaughter struck out for the second out. Devin Messerschmidt followed with a line drive to left field that Barebo came in on then reached up at the last instant to grab for the final out.

"I got a better jump on it than I thought I did," Barebo said. "I got there too fast. It was exciting, really exciting. My teammates were scared, but I had it the whole way. There was no other way."

Luke was on top of his game from the outset. He struck out eight, walked none, and the only run he allowed was in the fourth when Ryan Hunt led off with a double and one out later scored on Oyer's double.

"I was pretty confident the whole game," Luke said. "Pen Argyl is actually my summer league team, so I know the kids pretty well. That worked to my advantage today."

"Every single time Zach goes out there you know he's going to give us an opportunity to win," Pascucci said. "He didn't miss too many spots. He threw very well."

Immediately after Oyer's double came perhaps the most bizarre play of the season.

Slaughter lined to right field for the second out. Oyer rounded third base and failed to re-touch third on his way back to second. An errant throw enabled Oyer to get back to second safely.

As the ball rolled away, Oyer took off toward third again and was hung up in a rundown. He came around to score what appeared to be a go-ahead run when Luke threw the ball away.

Notre Dame appealed that Oyer missed third base the first time and he originally was called safe. However, after a lengthy discussion by the umpires, Oyer was eventually called out to end the inning.

"I don't know why they overturned it after he was originally called safe," Pen Argyl coach Jake DeBoer said. "Unfortunately, they (umpires) have the final say. It's just unfortunate it had to happen like that. Devon did a heck of a job. We just have to hit better."

Pascucci's tie-breaking double to deep left field came after Luke reached on a two-out error and courtesy runner Joe Fedrizzi stole second.

"That ball was looking like a beach ball today," said Pascucci, who also singled in the sixth inning. "I caught that double on the sweet part of the bat."

As for Barebo's game-saving catch, Luke described it this way: "I was a little nervous when it came off the bat, but I knew Charlie was going to catch it," he said.

"I don't know if it (district title) has sunk in yet," Bedics said. "I couldn't be happier for this group of kids."